[BL] The Mafia Boss Wants My Body

Chapter 247: Chapter 247: Learning to Let Go Choosing Myself

A contented sigh escaped his lips as the car carried them smoothly through the busy streets.

A few days later, Matteo made a decision that would change the course of his life.

For the first time, he admitted something to himself.

As long as he lived in constant fear of losing control of his temper, nothing would ever truly change.

Even if he somehow won Adrian back, he would still be the same man inside.

If he wanted a real future...

If he wanted to love Adrian without fear...

Then he had to stop treating the symptoms and finally heal the problem at its root.

Determined to break the cycle, Matteo sought out a highly recommended psychiatrist and officially began a comprehensive treatment plan alongside his therapy.

As the days passed, the combination of medication, therapy, and his own willingness to change gradually brought him a clarity he hadn’t felt in years.

For the first time, he began to see his actions, his past, and the unhealthy patterns he had spent so long justifying from a completely different perspective.

By the second week of treatment, his determination had only grown stronger.

With Maya’s wedding now only a few weeks away, Matteo sat alone on the edge of his bed, forced to confront the hardest truth of his life.

He stared down at his hands as silent tears slipped down his cheeks.

The contrast between their lives couldn’t have been more painful.

Every time Adrian posted on Instagram, he looked vibrant, radiant, and genuinely happy.

Meanwhile, Matteo was left alone in the darkness, falling apart night after night.

Two months have passed, he thought, swallowing the painful lump in his throat.

If he found a way to be happy... why can’t I?

In that moment, Matteo made another difficult decision.

He forced himself to stop rushing to Adrian’s social media every time a notification appeared.

He stopped searching for tiny glimpses into a life he no longer belonged to.

Instead, he poured all of his energy into his recovery.

Not to win Adrian back.

Not because he believed Adrian would return.

But because, for the first time in his life, he wanted to become a better man for himself.

Matteo realized he needed to learn how to value his own life instead of letting it waste away.

He forced himself into a strict routine. He ate proper meals instead of skipping them. He attended every medical appointment without fail and never missed a single dose of his medication.

By the third week, his discipline was beginning to pay off. His determination never wavered. He kept the promise he had made to himself, completely staying away from Adrian’s social media and devoting every ounce of his energy to rebuilding his mental health.

Finally, there were only a week and three days left until Maya’s wedding.

A week before the ceremony, Maya called Matteo with an update.

Her fiancé had decided to host a large joint bachelor and bachelorette celebration, inviting both close friends and family to celebrate together.

Out of respect for their history, Matteo was one of the first people she personally called in Adrian’s circle.

Matteo held the phone to his ear, his voice calm and steady.

"Thank you, Maya. I’ll be there."

This time, there was no desperate possessiveness in his heart.

He wasn’t counting down the days or planning how to get Adrian back.

He genuinely wanted to be there for Maya during one of the happiest moments of her life.

And if the opportunity naturally presented itself... He simply hoped to have a quiet, honest conversation with Adrian.

But as the night of the celebration drew closer, the excitement he had expected to feel never came.

Instead, it was replaced by a fear he had never experienced before.

For the first time, Matteo was terrified of seeing Adrian again. He was terrified of looking into Adrian’s eyes and realizing his greatest fear had become reality...

That Adrian had truly moved on.

That the love he had always believed would wait for him was finally gone.

That there was no longer a place for him in Adrian’s life.

At that moment, Matteo seriously considered backing out. He sat alone in the quiet of his office, staring blankly at the wall, paralyzed by the thought that if he went and looked into Adrian’s eyes, only to have his worst fears confirmed, it would destroy the fragile progress he had made.

He wasn’t sure his heart could survive it.

After sitting there for a long while, he finally pushed the thought aside and forced himself to focus on the work waiting on his desk.

******

But the day before the celebration, his phone rang. It was Maya, calling to remind him about the party.

"I’m really looking forward to seeing you there, Matteo," she said, her voice warm and genuine.

Matteo swallowed his anxiety, deliberately stopping himself from asking the one question burning in his mind.

Will Adrian be there?

Instead, he kept his tone calm and supportive.

"I’ll definitely be there, Maya. I wouldn’t miss it."

"Thank you, Matteo," Maya said softly. "And I received the wedding gift you sent to the house. It’s beautiful. Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness."

"You’re very welcome, Maya," Matteo replied.

After the call ended, Maya’s kindness strengthened his resolve. He reminded himself that he was going for her, to support a woman who had always shown him kindness. But the second he set his phone down, thoughts of Adrian flooded his mind like a tidal wave.

His thumb hovered over the Instagram icon, the desperate urge to check Adrian’s profile testing every bit of his discipline.

He stared at the screen for a long, agonizing moment before forcefully locking the phone, tossing it onto the nightstand, and forcing himself to close his eyes and sleep.

Meanwhile, Adrian had already returned to Central City and was back at his own house a day before the celebration. He hadn’t come back alone; Leah was with him. However, the grueling journey and the silent toll of the past two months had completely drained him. He was burning with a fever, deeply exhausted, and lacked the strength to even get out of bed.

Seeing his condition, Leah immediately called Maya to update her.

"Maya, Adrian’s really not doing well," Leah said, her voice laced with worry. "His condition has gotten worse. He keeps holding his stomach, and he’s burning up and sweating even with the air conditioner on."

"Put him on the phone right now," Maya said immediately.

Leah walked into the bedroom and switched the call to speaker before setting the phone beside Adrian so he wouldn’t have to hold it.

"Adrian, it’s Maya."

When Adrian spoke, his voice was rough, weak, and hollow.

"Hey, Maya..."

"You sound terrible," Maya said, unable to hide the panic in her voice. "Adrian, you need to go to the hospital right now. Let Leah go with you and have the driver take both of you there."

"I’ll be fine," Adrian muttered, his eyes remaining closed as another wave of dizziness washed over him. "I’ll take some medicine. I just need to get through your wedding, Maya. Once it’s over, I promise I’ll go to the hospital and get the treatment I need. Not before."

"Have you lost your mind?" Maya shot back, her voice rising with panic. "I’ll drive over there myself right now and drag you to the hospital if I have to."

"Don’t," Adrian pleaded, but with a stubborn edge that brooked no argument. "I’m not going to the hospital, Maya. If they admit me, I’ll miss your wedding. I’ve got my medication here. I’ll be fine."

"Why the hell are you being so stubborn?"